The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-30
MOST IS FOUND GUILTY.
HIS TESTIMONY ON THE STAND IN
HIS OWN BEHALF.

A Polnt-blank Denial that He Used the
| Violent Language Attributed to Him
He Refuses to Answer Several
Questions So as Not to Criminate
Himself
New YORK, Nov. 29-When the trial of
John Most was resumed this morning his
counsel, Mr.. Howe, arose and dsclaimed on
the part of his client any connection with or
knowledge of the threatening letter sent to
Judge Cowing. He expressed the belief that
1t was sent by some enemy of Most to preju-
dice his case Most was then called to the
witness stand to testify in his own defense
He also began by disclaiming any knowl-
edge of the threatening letter He
denied that he had threatened the execu-
toner of the Anarchists in Chicago or any
one else. The meeting at Kraemer's Hall,
at which the alleged seditious speech was
made. was, he said, public one. Mr..
Schultz was chairman and not Mr.. Schenck
as the policeman testified. He addressed his
hearers as fellow citizens, not as Anarchists.
he then went on to give his version of the
speech he made. 1t lacked the threats and
violent language he is charged with having
uttered.
NOT THE TIME FOR REVENGE.
On the cry of revenge being uttered in
the audience, he went on: 81 said not now
The capitalists are arrayed against U.S. We
are here to accuse, and / accuse Grinnell,
Gary and the judges of murder" He had
| described Powderly as an instrument in the
execution for not taking sides with the con-
demned men. Then, too, there was Henry
George. HE is narrow-minded and not
wise, but he ought to be clever enough to
know the difference between right and
wrong, and should have enlisted sympathy
for the men," He was not sure that he said
he would give ten years of his life to know
the hangman and thst he would strangle
him. He never said that for every man
| Killed in Chicago 500 would be slaughtered.
HIS PAST LIFE.
On cross-examination Assistant District
Attorney Nicoll questioned Most on the
record of his past life. The prisoner said he
had been convicted of treason in Austria in
1869, and had been imprisoned one year.
In 1870 he was again convicted in that coun-
try of the same crime, and got five years
sentence, but gained his liberty in 1871
through amnesty granted to political pris-
| oners. In 1872 he was sentenced to one
years imprisonment in Berlin for
calling the Emperor of Germany a
'slaughterer" end q "massacrer In 1874
he was sentenced to Imprisonment for one
| year and six months for a speech made ill
Berlin on the memorial day of the Paris
| Commune. In 1877 he was sentenced in
Berlin to two months Imprisonment for
blasphemy. In 1881 he was sentenced in
England TO eighteen months imprisonment
for applauding in the Fl'eiheit the killing of
the Gar.
HIS ARRIVAL IN AMERICA.
When he got out of prison there he came
to this country, and has since remained
| here. When Most was asked if he had
written book on THE Art of Revolution
ary Warfare" or book on Dynamite and
| Other Explosives" he refused to answer on
| the ground that the answer would tend to
criminate him. He also declined to answer
whether he believed that modern explosives
were necessary to carry out his ideas;
whether he had advised others as to the
| cheapest manner of manufacturing
explosives; whether he has advised
| that the electric batteries be used at
a distance to explode dynamite, but when a
| few moments can be had to get away fuse
| of six or eight inches will serve; whether he
had said that for an explosion in a crowd
| shell is the best and it should be globular to
produce splendid results; whether he had
said that gas pipe with screw caps will pro-
| duce brilliant results; whether he had ad-
| vised that fruit jar be filled with benzine,
| in which medicine glass filed with powder
| tightly closed and having fuse placed, and
that on bursting the fiery benzine would be
!
| deadly poison curare on arrow heads.
GREATLY EXCITED.
| The witness grew greatly excited when
| these questions were asked, and declined to
answer each on the same ground. He said
vehemently: "What have they to do with
my speech at Kraemer's Hall" But the
| Judge in each case allowed the question.
| Most said he was a communistlc Anarchist,
and assumed the oratorical style which had
:. 1.-A... t..~I L
| testimony When Mr. Nicoll, on cross-ex-
animation, asked him to state his views, he
said: I'VE do not fight against any particu-
| lar government. We do not especially fight
| the government of the United States. We
are opposed to government as such. We
think that power held by a government
should be abolished" Most said that the
''rulipg classes" were in rebellion, and it was
| possible that even what the people had-the
| constitution of the United States-would be
| taken away His motto was: Need for
organization, organization to put down the
| rebellion of the capitalistic class" 1--WE do
not expect that the capltallstic classes will
give up what they have peaceably. There
| will be fierce fighting on both sides"
ALL THE EVIDENCE IN.
| At the conclusion of Mosts testimony,
both sides announced that they had no more
evidence to offer Judge Cowing said he
would limit each side to one hour, summing
up. Judge Cowing, in his charge, told the |
Jury Most was not to be tried for his past
| life, nor for his belief, but his speech at
Kreamers Hall. ''Our love of free speech,
and freedom of the press" he con-
tinued, ''has made us do away |
| with many restrictions. We are |
Jealous Of our liberty. Free speech does |
not mean that an individual has right to
slander his neighbor, or to incite riot We |
do not tolerate license We encourage |
freedom. We throw open our gates to all |
to come and enjoy citizenship, which we
esteem greater privilege than to he King.
We marvel that in this country, where every |
one is so free, there should be such men as
| Anarchists, and ask what more do they
want. Revolutions have come from in
Justice, but never from justice" After
going over the testimony carefully he said
he failed to find anything in the speech of
Most as he gave it at the trial that came
within the statute. The jury went out at
$50 o'clock, and at 10 o'clock tonight came
into the court room and rendered verdict
of guilty
On the first ballot the jury stood seven
for acuuittal and five for conviction.